This is a winter minestrone made with the dark, robust leaves of cavolo nero, a native Tuscan kale. We had this soup with our friend, Franca Buonamici, from Lucca, and drank it with the neighbour’s homemade red wine. It was a wonderful combination and quite touching to know that it dates back centuries.
Using three different cabbages is not strictly necessary but you would be surprised how their flavours differ. The white cabbage is quite sweet against the bitter kales. This is a dish that can change completely according to what vegetables you have available, what is growing in your 'orto' (vegetable garden) or what you have in the back of the fridge (you can add the chopped leftover vegetables from a stock into the soup, too – nothing goes to waste in a Tuscan kitchen). The soup can be eaten after cooking but traditionally it is left for a day then layered with saltless spongy Tuscan bread and cooked again. It is often served with a spring onion: I find this a little overpowering, but the choice is yours!